1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to the use of robotic technology in mining industry, specifically in smelting processes.
2. Prior Art
During metal obtention and refining processes, smelting furnaces are used to cast metal concentrates for purifying and extracting them. The first stage of the productive process is to move the dry concentrate to one of these furnaces, which could be a flash furnace and/or a Teniente converter, where casting is at temperatures over 1.200° C. In this way, while the concentrate becomes a molten liquid mass, its components are being separated and combined to form a two layer bath. The heaviest layer is called matte and it is a metal enriched component. Over this layer, the slag is floating, which is a coat of impurities of the metal of interest. In this way and during successive stages, the stage which is rich in the metal is sequentially cast and refined through several furnaces which allows to obtain a high purity metal.
In the last stage of the smelting process, the fire refining stage is carried out in which the metal is processed in rotary furnaces, by adding special purifying agents which are called fluidizing agents to oxide and eliminate all the impurities with the resulting effect of very few non desired elements contained in the molten bath. Then, the oxygen is extracted with steam or oil injections with the final result of a high purity level.
Thus, when a metal load reaches the required purity level, the furnace is inclined and in exact quantities the metal is poured into one of the ingot casts of the fire refined cast casting wheel. Once the metal is poured into the cast, the wheel rotates to advance the following cast into position and other ingot is cast. In this way, the wheel speed is adjusted in an accurate way to the optimum speed profile, ensuring a smooth acceleration and disacceleration level of the casts. This is intended to produce high quality ingots with a minimum burr formation grade.
To finish the smelting process, the dislodging process (stripping and/or extraction) proceeds in which the cast ingots are lifted and sent to a cooling tank to avoid the excessive oxidation and to obtain a deep scrubbing.
Finally, the cast ingots are counted and arranged in predetermined bundles or at distances required by the electrolytic plant. The discharge of cooling tanks is carried out whether by a forklift or by anode lifting device.
Once the casting process has been ended, the casts are reviewed and those presenting cracks or adherence of material are removed for repair. They are later reinstalled in the casting wheel.
Particularly, the repair of casts in the way it is performed today has the disadvantage of being carried out manually or in a semiautomatic way which means less efficiency of the system. On the other hand the superficial inspection has the disadvantage of being performed visually in many cases or with low levels of advanced technology vision applications. Similarly, in many cases, the operators are subjected to a high physical demand and harsh environmental conditions.